Would you consider him #1 on the list of people WWE pushed that ultimately underachieved? Pretty much was given the largest push to open his career that anyone in this era could have, so I'd consider it a major disappointment if he became a strongly booked mid-carder as opposed to a top-flight guy.

While I know Vince for one was and still is pissed off at him for that little coke incident, I don't think the foul taste will last longer than a year or two before he forgets all about it. Roman won't be doomed to the mid-card for good, his monster push is getting rekindled sooner or later.

No, there have been bigger busts in the past.  Personally, I find Warrior to be the biggest bust, as when he was sent into the main event, he immediately went nuts and proved he as a person could not be relied on.

I'm convinced his tenure as a mid-carder won't last long. Yeah, supposedly Vince is pissed but he will get over it I'm sure. IMO Roman seems so out of place in a second tier division. Personally, I wouldn't have demoted him in the first place. The suspension was enough of a punishment. Plus he's already a three time world champion. It's kinda late to give up on pushing him as one of the top guys.

Comparing him to everyone that has main evented (the biggest push you can get in WWF/E, in my opinion) a WrestleMania, I think it's safe to say he could become the biggest bust. Even guys like Ultimate Warrior and Miz who people consider busts (or that they shouldn't have been in the main event of WM to begin with) only appeared in the main event once. Reigns now has two under his belt. Here's a list of wrestlers to main event multiple WrestleMania's (last match on card):

Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Sid Justice, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Triple H, John Cena, Undertaker, Randy Orton, Batista, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns

Obviously, you have the "Mount Rushmore" in Hogan, Rock, Cena, Austin. Then there's your secondary guys in Savage, Hart, Michaels, Undertaker, Orton. Which leaves Yokozuna, Sid, Batista, Lesnar, and Reigns. Yokozuna played the monster heel, he wasn't really set up to be a face. Batista and Lesnar ended up becoming solid main eventers. All that remains is Sid and Reigns. I'd give the edge to Reigns there because Sid was never going to become the face of the WWF, nor did he win his WrestleMania main event matches (lost to Undertaker and Hogan). Reigns was being pushed as a cornerstone player for the future.


TL;DR version: If Reigns busts, it'll be the worst since Sid Justice, if not the worst of all time.

He'll be pushed again, I see him as a mid-card level talent until Wrestlemania time if not a bit earlier. Would he get a US Title reign? Potentially. I see him jobbing to quite a few budding main event and upper card stars though. They might flat out keep him out of the rumble this year, and at mania, he will job to taker. Once Taker says Reigns punishment is lifted, then it is lifted. Vince believes what the man says so much, that he will take his word for when Reigns punishment is through. Post Wrestlemania time, he will more than likely climb back up not to the top spot above EVERYONE else, but he will be a top guy.

Like anyone who has done wrong by Vince and the company, they'll go through a certain time eating shit for a while and he'll eventually get pushed probably in the next year or so. But as of right now as he is probably feuding with Rusev adds prestige and value to the U.S Championship and also it gives Rusev something to do as well. If anything what Reigns has is credibility, so say if he loses to someone cleanly or loses to a feud it raises his opponent's stock up as well. I kinda view this as somewhat similar what Triple H has gone through during his rise to the top. Him being demoted promotes opportunities for anyone to take his spot and run with it as far as they can like Finn Balor for example. And I don't see Roman as being a bust, rather seeing this as a punishment this is a way where he can actually add something extra to his character or something and he'll get over organically. But I do see Reigns losing a lot to the point where the status he once had would be long forgotten and then he would eventually gain sympathy from the audience and he'll be able to get over organically and once his next push comes around then it won't be as bad as the others.